Stealing Moments
by UntoldLies
Summary: Before she realized what she was doing, she leaned forward and crashed her lips on his. This was the first time she had really kissed someone. And of all people, it was a Weasley twin. Worse yet, she didn't even know which one for sure.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**For my readers of my other stories, I have not forgotten about them. I just feel like I don't want to put them out without having a clear vision as to where they are going. But I promise I will continue them. And for the readers of this one, I hope you enjoy :-)**

**This takes place during Christmas break 6th year.**

Hermione shivered as she sat out on the back porch at the burrow. She didn't care that it was cold or that she didn't have a proper coat. She needed to get away. She couldn't stand sitting in there anymore with Ron and his stupid necklace from stupid Lavender. Every time she thought about the two, she felt as though she couldn't breathe. She was glad no one saw her slip out. Everyone was too busy chatting about everything else. Ginny, Harry and Ron about Quidditch, The twins about the store, and Bill and Charlie were talking with their parents about their work. She wrapped her arms around her knees, thinking of how much she missed her parents. She wished now that she had chosen to go home for the holidays instead of going to the burrow. She had thought she could have a nice holiday with her friends; her second family. But instead, here she was wanting nothing more in the world than to shrink away.

"Thought you might be a bit cold," she felt a blanket wrap around her shoulders. She looked up to see one of the twins sinking down on the step next to her. "So what has you out here all alone?" he gave her a concerned look.

"Just wanted some time alone," she responded coldly. She didn't want to share her feelings with one of the twins. Why would she? They had never been close; never had a real conversation.

"Well then I hope you don't mind some company," he smiled as he gave her a wink. "Come on now, Granger. I know what's wrong. Don't let my stupid git of a brother get to you. He's just excited because for the first time someone actually wants to snog him." He regretted his words when he saw her eyes glisten. "I'm sorry, Mione. Don't cry," his brow creased. He wasn't used to crying. He had always had a knack for saying the right thing to make someone laugh when they were upset. This was quite the opposite effect.

"He's so stupid!" she practically shouted as she wiped the tears that found their way down her cheeks.

"You won't find me disagreeing there," he smiled again.

"I just wish I could make him understand," the tears stung her eyes again. "If he only knew," she let her sentence hang as she looked up at the man in front of her. It wasn't often she saw the twins with such a serious expression. Before she realized what she was doing, she leaned forward and crashed her lips on his. She wasn't sure what made her do it exactly. She supposed it made her feel better, knowing that if Ron was going to snog someone, she was free to do the same. His lips felt like fire on hers, which had been trembling from the cold. She felt a warmth spread through her body. Her mind raced as he ran one hand through her curly mane. This was the first time she had really kissed someone. And of all people, it was a Weasley twin. Worse yet, she didn't even know which one for sure. As her mind finally fully realized what she was doing, she puled away, bringing her hand to her lips instantly. She stared at him for a moment, his face a mixture between amusement and bewilderment. "I-I have to go," she said quickly as got up and ran inside. What had she done? How could she have kissed Ron's brother? And which one was it? She bounded up the stairs, not caring if anyone noticed. She needed to think. She laid on the bed, going through her thoughts for what seemed to be forever before she finally fell asleep.

"Hermione?" she heard Harry's voice. She opened her eyes slowly to see him standing in the doorway, Ginny in tow. "Dinner's ready. Mrs. Weasley insisted we come get you."

She sighed. She had been asleep longer than she had realized. Had she really slept all day? "I'll be down in a few minutes," she replied, sitting up. "Really, I will," she insisted when they didn't move. She got up and watched as they walked out of the room. She supposed she couldn't miss dinner, even if she didn't want to face the twins. She wished she would have paid attention to the letter on the sweater he wore. But she was too focused on his face; on her own pain. If only Molly had made them different colored sweaters. Of course, she also knew the twins had a habit of wearing the wrong ones to confuse people. She walked slowly down the stairs and made her way to the kitchen, where everyone was sitting, waiting for her.

"Are you okay, dear?" Molly stood up and walked over to her, feeling her head. "It's not like you to sleep all day."

"I think I just needed to catch up. I haven't been sleeping well lately," she replied. It was partially true. She hadn't really slept in weeks. She sat up most nights, sick thinking about Ron.

"Well, come along then," she put a hand on her back. "Some food will do you well," she smiled at her. When Hermione made her way to the table, she saw that the twins were both grinning at her, each patting the empty spot between them. So they were going to make this difficult for her. Just wonderful.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Dinner seemed to take forever for Hermione. Every time she would reach for something, it seemed one of the twins felt the need to reach for the same thing, and she felt her cheeks flush when their hands would brush against hers. Of course she knew it was on purpose on both their parts. They were trying to get to her. She was convinced that whichever one she kissed had told the other one and now they were both working to make her uncomfortable. She waited for someone to get up so she would have an excuse to leave the space between the twins.

"Quidditch anyone?" Ginny beamed as she stood the boy smiled wide and nodded. "You'll play, right Hermione?" Ginny raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"I don't know," she bit her lip frowning. "I'm rubbish. You know that."

"Come on, Hermione," George grinned at her as he put an arm around her shoulders. "You, me and Fred against Harry, Ginny and Ron."

She felt her cheeks flush at his touch. She breathed in deep before she finally nodded. She couldn't tell them she didn't want to play because she didn't want to be around them. Then she'd have to admit to everyone that she had kissed one of the twins. That was not a conversation she felt like having. Besides, she needed to figure out which one she had kissed before she did anything. She had to talk to him; to explain that it was all a mistake.

"You three are in for it," Ginny laughed as she raced from the table and grabbed her coat and scarf along with Hermione's. Hermione was suddenly yanked from her seat as Ginny grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

The cold hit her like a slap in the face. It wad been so warm in the burrow. She was suddenly wishing she had decided against playing. She stood and watched as Harry and Ron raced over to Ginny and the three headed to one side of the field. She found herself standing alone, and quite uncomfortable. Usually it was her and Harry against Ron and Ginny. Now she had no idea what she was going to do. She had never played on the team with the twins. While she had seen them play many times, she certainly didn't have the same flow they did. She was sure she couldn't anticipate their moves as she could with Harry.

"You going to stand there all day or are you going to come get your broom?" she heard one of the twins call after her. She turned around to find them both already on theirs, laughing. "Stop looking all nervous. No one's going to tease you. We've heard how bad you are," he teased as they circled around above her. She frowned but picked up a broom and got on. Soon she was level with the twins, despite being a bit shaky. She hadn't thought to wear gloves and the cold nipped at her fingers. This was going to be an all around miserable experience. She could feel it.

She was right. By the end of the game, the score was close, no thanks to her, but they had lost. She had expected the twins to be irritated with her, as she was certain she was the reason they had lost, but they simply patted her on the back and said 'We'll get them next time'. One of them, she suspected it was Fred by his coat, had even told her she wasn't that bad. With a little practice, she could be a decent chaser. Her cheeks had gone red at the remark, since she knew she was awful. But she had sure appreciated the sentiment.

When they got back to the house, everyone raced to the bathroom. All of them were sweaty and a bit muddy, since it had started raining halfway through the game. She had never understood how you could get muddy in a game you weren't even on the ground until she had played. She had a new admiration for Harry and the Weasleys after playing. When she reached the room she shared with Ginny, she stripped out of her dirty clothes and into a t shirt and pants. Since she knew there was no doubt a line for the bathroom, she at least didn't want to dirty the house Molly always worked so hard at keeping clean.

She laid down in her bed and started reading one of the many books she had brought with her. When Ginny finally arrived back in he bedroom, she was nearly asleep. How could she be tired when she had slept all day? "I'm going to go make some cocoa. Would you like some?"

Ginny shook her head. "I think I'm going to get some sleep," she yawned. She knew Ginny was always extra tired after quidditch, as she always gave everything she had, even if she was just playing for fun. For Ginny, she had something to prove to her brothers.

Hermione nodded and quietly stepped out of the room and made her way down the stairs. Most of the lights in the house were extinguished now, as almost everyone had headed to their rooms. Though it wasn't too late, it was late enough. Once she had washed up and made her cocoa, she sat next to the dimly lit fire that was slowly burning itself out. While it was still alive though, it illuminated the room in moving shadows. The undulations reminded her of the ocean. She would have loved to be on a beach.

"Can't sleep?" she heard the voice of one of the twins as he hopped over the couch and took a seat next to her. When she shook her head, he smiled. "Me neither. Never can after quidditch. It gets me too wound up. Of course, for most people, it's the opposite effect."

"I guess I can understand that," she replied, sipping from her mug. "Listen, this is kind of embarrassing but-"

"Don't worry," he interrupted. "You're secret is safe with me," he smiled.

She gave a small smile. "Well good," she nodded once. She wasn't sure if she wanted to ask if he was the one who had kissed her. But when she looked into his eyes, she knew he wasn't. "It wasn't you," she said quietly, entirely for her own benefit.

He laughed. "Right you are Miss Granger."

"George?" She asked, almost certain she was correct. George always had a more innocent look to his eyes. She should have realized it instantly when she was outside. But she had been consumed by her own feelings, she hadn't stopped to fully pay attention before she had run off. It had caught her by such surprise.

"You'd love to know wouldn't you?" he grinned, much to her annoyance.


	3. Chapter 3

When Hermione woke up the next morning, she could smell the breakfast Molly was cooking. She looked over to see Ginny wasn't in her bed. She knew the youngest Weasley must already be down at the table. Ginny was always one of the first to the table, as Harry and Ron were almost always there before everyone else. As Hermione headed out of the bedroom, she heard footsteps on the stairs above her. Not sure she wanted to have yet another encounter with the twins, she practically ran to the kitchen.

"Hungry?" Harry laughed as he watched Hermione dash to the table and take a seat at the end next to Ginny.

"Famished," she replied quickly as she watch the twins enter the kitchen. At least now she was almost certain it was Fred she had kissed. But she hadn't talked to him since then, aside from when they played Quidditch. She stayed quiet as everyone talked and stuffed breakfast sausages in their mouths.

"Tell us sis, how's Dean Thomas?" George laughed as Ginny's eyes went wide and she rent red.

"Fine," she mumbled as she took another bite of her breakfast. She didn't want to talk about Dean in front of Harry. Most of them knew she'd much rather be with Harry. While she did in fact like Dean, and he was a great guy, he wasn't the guy she had wanted since she was 10 years old.

"Well if we're not going to talk about Ginny's love life, how about yours, Hermione?" George raised and eyebrow.

She notice both twins had the same look, and she was sure hers was horrified. This was not happening. They wouldn't announce the kiss in front of everyone would they? They had never been cruel to her. "Nothing to talk about," she replied quietly as she took a small bite of her sausage, giving them a pleading look.

"That's not what we here. What about Cormac MgLaggen?" Fred winked as he smiled at her.

She allowed herself to breathe when she realized they weren't going to say anything. "He's awful," she replied without thinking, earning a laugh from almost everyone.

"I still don't know why you went with that oaf to the party," Ron muttered. He was the only one who hadn't laughed.

Before Hermione could open her mouth to say anything, Fred looked at his brother. "And why do you care, dear brother?"

"Let's not do this," Harry interrupted before Ron could respond. He knew his friend had a knack for putting his foot in his mouth, and now wasn't the time for an argument. "Does anyone want to play quidditch again today? I really do need to practice some more before we go back," he asked hopefully.

"Sure," Ron shrugged, still frowning a bit.

All the Weasley children looked at Hermione expectantly. She sighed. "Fine." She smiled when they all cheered.

"Same teams then, eh?" Fred smiled.

"You can't seriously want me on your team again," she looked at the disbelievingly. They were really taking this too far, trying to get under her skin. Of course, the two of them were good enough to keep up with the other three, even with her fumbling around, only hindering their game.

"You're not that bad," George shrugged. "Besides, it just proves that we've still got it," he smiled.

* * *

The rest of the day went by quickly, to Hermione's surprise. Even with the twins using every chance they got to give her sly smiles or make contact with her. After dinner they all plopped on the couches and chairs in the sitting room. The twins sat on either side of Hermione, stretching out to make her uncomfortable. She shifted, trying to find a position in which she wasn't touching either of them.

"What now?" Ginny asked. There wasn't much to do in the burrow when it was cold ad dark. Usually they'd play quidditch all day or lay out by the pond or swim. But it was far too cold to spend more than a couple of hours outside, and that was almost unbearable. They were all looking for a reason to stay inside.

"A game then?" Harry suggested.

"Exploding snap?" Ron asked.

"How about something more interesting?" Ginny had that wicked smile that was so reminiscent of the twins. She was more like them than any of the other Weasleys.

"What do you have in mind, baby sister?" Fred grinned. He knew she must have a brilliant idea by the look on her face.

"Well, Dean and I played a game once. It's call Never Have I Ever. It's kind of an icebreaker. Everyone sits in a circle and everyone takes a turn. The first person makes a statement of something they've never done. For example, never have I ever snogged a girl. Then anyone in the circle who has done it takes a drink. If no one drinks, the person who made the statement has to. And if only one person drinks, they have to give an explanation of why they're drinking."

"Wicked," the twins said in unison. Harry and Ron smiled, intrigued, and Hermione had a look of horror on her face.

"But we haven't got anything to drink," Hermione tried to dissuade them.

"You underestimate us," George grinned slyly as he and Fred stood up.

"Meet us in our room," Fred added as they bounded up the stairs.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione was the last to enter the twins' bedroom. She didn't want to play this game, but she also knew none of them would let her live it down if she didn't. "Molly's going to kill us if she finds out," she whispered as she squeezed between Harry and Ron, despite the open spot next to the twins.

"She's not going to," Ginny assured her. "Mum is busy cleaning. And besides, she never comes in this room if she can help it. Always scared something is going to blow up in her face," she laughed. "So who's going first?" she was quick to ask after the twins poured firewhiskey in the glasses that sat before each of them.

"I think Hermione should," George smiled at her.

"I don't-"

"I'll go," Harry volunteered, to her relief. She gave him a thankful smile. "Never have I ever driven a car."

"Boring," the twins chimed, but both took drinks.

"Does flying a car count then?" Ron asked, and took his own drink when the twins and Ginny nodded.

"Never have I ever kissed someone I wasn't in a relationship with," Ginny went next.

This time, Harry, Hermione and the twins all took drinks.

"Who've you kissed?" Ron turned to Hermione, who's cheeks were turning red.

"Rules of the game state that you only need explain if you're the lone drinker," Fred reminded his brother, and gave Hermione a wink when she smiled gratefully.

"Never have I ever had a fantasy about someone in this room," George smiled triumphantly when everyone but him took a drink.

"Having dreams about Harry then, are you?" Ginny looked to Fred, who had looked like he didn't want to take a drink.

"It was only once, Harry. Don't worry," he played along, laughing. Everyone but Hermione and Ron roared with laughter, as they both seemed to realize who he had dreamed about, and it made them both uncomfortable for different reasons.

"Once a night," George added, making even Hermione laugh this time.

Fred took a few moments before he spoke. "Never have I ever truly regretted kissing someone." He raised an eyebrow at Hermione when only George took a drink.

"Spill," Ginny instantly looked to her older brother.

"I kissed Alicia once after a match. Awful mistake," he laughed. "She got all mad and wouldn't talk to me for weeks afterward."

"Why was she so mad? Was it that awful?"

"Of course not," he defended. "But Angelina had a bit of a thing for me at the time, and they're good friends. Of course, Angie got all upset too. It was an awful mess. But I was 13. Who could blame me?" he laughed again. "Ron, I believe it's your turn," he looked to his youngest brother.

"Never have I ever had a sexual dream about a professor."

Hermione, Ginny and George all drank to this one. Despite the prodding from the others, George kept his mouth shut. "You next, Hermione."

"Never have I ever been kissed at midnight on New Years."

This time, only the twins drank, though Fred gave her an interesting look as he did. As the game went on, everyone became much looser in their stories and the never have i's became much more centered around relationships and exploits with the opposite sex. It was past midnight by the time any of them realized it and most of them were on the verge of drunk or already there. Hermione and Harry still mostly had their wits about them, as they have never really been in relationships. Ron was laying down in the spot he had been sitting, snoring loudly. Ginny was humming as she leaned her head on Harry's shoulder and the twins were both sprawled across their beds, still hanging in the game. "My turn," Ginny announced in a sing song voice. She sure got giggly when she drank. "Never have I ever gone skinny dipping."

No one was surprised when only the twins drank. George looked from Hermione to Fred and spoke. "Never have I ever fancied someone and not told them." Everyone but him drank.

"Never have I ever snuck into the prefects bathroom to snog a girl," he narrowed his eyes at George, who gladly took a drink.

"Never have I ever been drunk," Hermione smiled as the three remaining Weasleys all drank happily.

Harry thought for a few minutes. He was starting to run out of things to say. They had been playing for hours and had covered just about everything imaginable pertaining to the opposite sex. It didn't help his focus that Ginny was still laying her head on him. Her being so close to him had not been an abnormal thing in the past, but now that he had realized he had feelings for her and she was with Dean, it made him a little uncomfortable. He suddenly felt the need to drink more. "Never have I ever wanted to kiss someone in this circle," he took a large gulp from his own glass. He looked to Ginny, who's head had jerked up at his statement, and smiled as she took her own drink. Hermione and Fred both looked at each other as they took a drink, a fact that Ginny, Harry and George did not miss.

"I think it's a good time to stop," Hermione said as she put down her glass.

"But it's my turn," Ginny groaned. "Come on, Mione. One more," she pouted and smiled when Hermione laughed and agreed. "Never have I ever kissed anyone in this circle," her eyes never left Hermione's face as her friend took a drink. She then turned to Fred, who also took his. "I knew it!" she exclaimed


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione felt the color drain from her face and the fuzzy feeling of the liquor go away. She snapped her head over to look to Ron next to her, luckily still asleep. She exhaled deeply thankful he didn't hear. She turned back to her friend, who was still beaming the way she always did when she found out a secret. "What do you mean you knew it? If you knew why didn't you just come to me instead of this?" She waved to arm to indicate the game they had been playing.

"Well, I didn't know before this. I had a feeling of course that something was going on. You two haven't exactly been subtle," she looked to the twins. "All the touching and the sitting next to her; insisting on having her on your team," she laughed. "I didn't realize you two had kissed until we played this little game." She looked to Hermione, who looked like she couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to curse her. "I'm sorry Mione. Please don't be mad at me. But would you have really told me?"

Hermione sighed. Sure, this wasn't the best way to have gone about finding out. But after all, she was used to being told something like this. Had she just confided in her, maybe this wouldn't have been the result. And she knew Ginny didn't mean it in a malicious way. At least she waited until Ron was asleep. She looked over to the twins, who still looked surprised, but were smiling with pride in their baby sister. Her face softened. "I'm not mad."

"Wait a minute," Harry interrupted. "When? Why?"

Hermione frowned again. "Can we talk about this later, Harry? I promise I'll talk to you about everything later. When we have time alone," she tilted her head to indicate Ron's sleeping form. That was certainly half of the reason she didn't want to have the conversation. But the other half was because her and Fred still hadn't talked about the kiss. She didn't know what he thought about it.

"What about me? I want to know why too," Ginny, who was still obviously half drunk, crossed her arms.

"I'm with our baby sister," George finally spoke.

"Now is not the time to discuss this," Hermione's voice hardened. "I'll talk to you about it later," she stood up. "I'm going to bed," she turned and walked out of the room and down the stairs. She sighed when she laid down in the bed. When she heard the door open, she didn't bother to look. She had just assumed it would be Ginny. "Listen, Gin. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't know what was going on. And to be honest, at the time, I didn't even know which-" she stopped when she turned over to face her friend. "Fred," she practically whispered.

"I knew you didn't know it was me," he laughed. "At least tell me you we're a little happy when you found out," he sat down next to her when she sat up to give him space. He smiled when she laughed. "Listen, Mione. I just want to let you know we're alright. I know why you kissed me. It's no secret that you fancy my poor sap of a brother. And it doesn't take a brilliant mind to figure out that kissing me was your way of getting back at him."

"Fred, it's not like that."

He laughed. "I'm not all heartbroken, you know. And I know it sounds worse when I say it than it was. But it's not like I haven't done anything like it before."

"You're not mad?"

"You're a nutter," he smiled. "I wasn't mad. And I knew it all from the beginning. If I was upset, do you really think George and I would have been acting the way we have?" He felt better when she laughed with him. "I do have one question though. You didn't regret it, if I remember correctly from upstairs. Did you enjoy it then?" His smile widened when she looked away from him nervously. "Oh now you're embarrassed?"

She laughed, still not looking up at him. The truth was she did. More than she had wanted to admit. And for the brief moments she had kissed him, she had forgotten about Ron and Lavender; about all the pain she had felt. "I wouldn't say it was bad."

He scoffed. "As if I'd believe you if you did," he ruffled her hair playfully. "Glad we got it all straightened out then. Sleep well, love," he winked at her before getting up and leaving the room. He didn't miss the fact that she still had a smile on her face.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days had passed since the game. Hermione was glad to see that Fred and George were acting much more normal, though she did notice him staring at her at random intervals, giving her a wink or a smile when she would catch him, and every time he did, she would smile. It wasn't a voluntary forced smile. He could genuinely lift her spirits with a simple look. She had been avoiding spending too much time with Ron, both for the simple fact that she didn't want to hear anymore about Lavender and the fact that she didn't want to lie to him. She was sure he knew something was up, as most of them were more quiet around him than usual now that they all knew. This was the reason she hadn't wanted to tell anyone. Harry wasn't sure how to act, since he wasn't used to keeping secrets from Ron, but she had begged him. There was no reason to get him mad over something that hadn't meant anything.

New Years Eve seemed to come much too quickly for any of them. The beginning of the new year meant a new term at Hogwarts. For Hermione, it meant watching Ron and Lavender. It was enough to make her sick, and then angry when she thought about the fact that he had ruined the excitement of going back to school for her. She had spent a good portion of her time reading and studying. Lavender had sent Ron an owl the day before, talking about much much she missed him. She almost gagged at the thought of it. That girl was so pathetic. She almost laughed when she thought it. "She's pathetic but I'm the one who's upset," she said to herself.

"Our head doesn't reign over our heart, love. Even as hard as we may try," she looked up to see Fred standing over her.

She quickly closed her book and scooted her feet up to make room for him on the couch. "Shouldn't you be out playing quidditch with everyone else?" She had declined the invitation to play quidditch with everyone. She told them she had felt like studying, which was of course true, though only partially.

"We're playing two on two. It's my turn to sit out, so I told them I wanted to come in and get some water," he smiled and shrugged.

She eyed him carefully. "So then where's your water?" She smiled.

"In the kitchen I'd suppose," he laughed. "I thought I'd come in to check on you."

She rolled her eyes. "Come to make sure I'm not in here crying over your brother?"

"That or to make sure you're not crying over me," he gave her a toothy grin. "You know. Because you're madly in love with me," he shrugged, smiling wider.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're full of yourself, Weasley," she laughed. "One kiss and you think you've got me wrapped around your finger?"

"You've become bold since we last talked," he looked at her, intrigued. "Tell me something, Mione. What is it about Ron that makes you want to be with him?"

She shrugged, frowning. "I don't know that it's just one thing, really. He's loyal and brave. He makes me laugh. And as much as we fight, he mellows me out a little. I think I've learned how to have some fun being around him," her frown lessened as she spoke.

"So that's all it takes to capture Hermione Granger's heart then?" He smiled. He watched as she played with her fingernails; something she often did when she became uncomfortable. "Why would you spend your time pining over a bloke who's too big of an idiot to notice what he has right in front of him?"

She snapped her head up to look at him. "Well, I don't know exactly. I mean, I don't really have much of a choice now do I? What else am I going to do? I care about him."

"Find someone else to take your mind off him. You might even find you like said person more than Ron," he shrugged as if it were simple.

"Like who?" she raised an eyebrow? "You?" she smiled.

"Well don't sound so appalled," he laughed, his ears turning a light pink.

She laughed with him. "Fred, it's not that I don't like you. I didn't mean it like that. I just mean, well, someone like you wouldn't exactly want someone like me." She was sure Fred could have his pick of girls. He was charming and funny and good looking. He and George had never had a problem finding girls to date when they were at Hogwarts.

"Here's an idea Hermione. Let's rehash our game. When you drank because you had a fantasy about someone," he smiled when she went scarlet. "Or because you wanted to kiss someone, was it just Ron?"

"I thought the rules said you didn't have to say," she replied quietly.

"You don't," he replied quickly. "We're out of the game now and I'm asking you because I know you already know my answers. Seeing as how Harry is the only other person who was in that room who I'm not related to-" he stopped and laughed. "Well you're a smart enough girl to understand who I was thinking about."

"Fred, wanting to kiss someone or-" she stopped and exhaled. "Or thinking about them doesn't mean you want a relationship," she tried to reason.

"Doesn't have to," he shrugged. "But it does mean something, doesn't it?"

"It might," she replied. Her voice was barely above a whisper. The way he looked at her made her breath catch in her throat.

She was thankful when she heard the others open the door to come inside. She wasn't sure what to think about any of this. Had Fred just told her that he cared about her? That he wanted to be with her? Did she feel the same? She didn't understand any of it. Sure, she had always found Ron's older brother attractive enough. And sure, they made her laugh, even when she didn't want to. And she had to admit that Fred was a good kisser. But she still had feelings for Ron. This was getting far too complicated.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'd just like to take a moment to thank all my reviewers. You guys are so encouraging and it really makes me want to write more. Divergent-Slytherin-Victor, chaansan, AwesomeGoldfish, lovthepeopl, katesecret, bookfan87, Hannah, Aralys, 1DloverAKARedingMonster, SansaClegane, KiwiKiwiGirl, Alessandra. 12, Blenda73, and harrypuddah. You all are so wonderful! Thank you for reading!**

"Oh, Harry, what should I do?" Hermione collapsed on the bed next to him, staring at the ceiling. It was one of the few moments she had alone with him in days. The Weasleys had flooed to 12 Grimmauld Place to visit with Bill and Fleur, who were staying there with most of the rest of the Order. Harry, however, hadn't wanted to go. It was still too soon after Sirius' death, and Hermione had insisted that she would stay at the burrow with him while the rest went to see their family.

"What do you mean what should you do? Do you want to do anything?" he raised an eyebrow. "Do you fancy him?" He had a feeling he was correct in his assumption. The way the two looked at each other in the twins' bedroom was enough to make him realize that the two harbored feelings for each other, even if they wouldn't admit it. "Hermione, it's okay if you do. You're not betraying Ron," he anticipated her feelings.

"How am I not betraying him? Fred is his brother," she sighed. She knew he was right. After all, he was dating Lavender. Why shouldn't she enjoy spending time with another guy? She was free to do as she pleased. And while the both of them knew Ron had feelings for her, at least at one point, he failed to act on them.

"You and I both know that you shouldn't be forced to sit and wait for Ron to get bored with Lavender. Don't get me wrong. He's my best friend too, and it might upset him a bit. That's not what I want, but the fact is it's not fair to you to be unhappy just because he can't pluck up enough courage to ask you out. You're like my sister, Mione. I want to see you happy. And if Fred can be that person, why not take a chance?"

"Are you saying all this because you wish you would have asked Ginny out earlier?" she sat up and looked at him.

"I'm happy if Ginny-"

"Harry Potter, don't you give me that. You and I both know you'd love nothing more than for Ginny to break up with Dean and go running to you," she smiled. She knew how Harry felt. She had felt the same way about Ron since he had started dating Lavender. It was a feeling she hated.

"What if I misunderstood, Harry? What if he doesn't want anything more than what we have right now?"

Harry laughed. "I don't think you misunderstood."

"How do you know?" she groaned. She was so bad with feelings and matters of the heart. She was always so anxious and hated the feeling of being rejected.

"It's not hard to see. And from what you've told me, you already have your answer. If you don't want to make anything happen with this, it's fine. I'm sure Fred's not going to hold it against you. He understands how you feel about Ron."

She smiled at him before giving him a hug. "Thank you, Harry. You're such a great friend."

It wasn't long before the rest of the Weasley's had come back. Molly almost squealed with delight when she saw the pair had decorated much of the living room for New Years, as she had planned to work on it after visiting with Bill. "Oh, you two are simply wonderful!" she hugged them tightly.

"We thought it was the least we could do, with you taking us in for the holidays and all," Hermione smiled.

"Oh, dear, you're family. Both of you," she put a hand on each of their shoulders. Hermione felt comforted by the gesture, as it was something her mother did.

"Well, now that we're properly decorated, can we start the party?" George smiled triumphantly when everyone laughed.

"I'll go start the food," Molly made her way to the kitchen. It was tradition at the Weasley household to turn the radio up, make lots of food and all spend time as a family for New Years.

Everyone had a seat in the living room. For the first time, Hermione sat between Fred and George purposely. Fred smiled at her, pleasantly surprised. George grinned at the pair. Perhaps he wouldn't have to intervene on his twin's behalf after all. He laughed as he watched Harry and Ginny sit next to each other, scooting farther away awkwardly as their hands touched. Ron seemed to be preoccupied. "What's wrong, ickle Ronniekins?" George teased.

"Well," he sighed and turned red. "Lavender's going to floo in to be here at midnight. She should be here any minute," he turned even more red when Fred and George burst out in laughter.

"What's the matter, won-won? She can't go a few more days without you?" George asked through his fits of laughter. He and Fred both had tears in their eyes.

"Stop teasing your brother," Arthur said, though Hermione could see he was holding back a smile himself. "It's nice that he gets to spend time with her tonight."

Fred looked over to see Hermione looked less than happy. He put an arm around her, giving her a gentle squeeze to comfort her. He knew this was not what she had been expecting. He noticed her smile when she looked at him.

Harry, who didn't want to dwell on the idea of Lavender, for Hermione's sake, decided to change the subject. "So who would have thought the Chudley Cannons didn't get completely destroyed against the Caerphilly Catapults?"

"I told you they were going to make a comeback!" Ron instantly defended his favorite team.

"They didn't actually win though," Ginny replied. "I'd hardly call that a comeback," she laughed.

"You'll see," Ron ignored Ginny's smug look. "They'll end up winning the league."

"That's not even possible at this point," Fred scoffed. "They're so far back, they couldn't finish in the top 10 if they won every game the rest of the season." He didn't hear Ron's reply over George, Harry and Ginny's laughter, but he was certain it wasn't anything nice.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Arthur laughed as he re-entered the room from the kitchen. "Your mother says all the food is done. Is anyone hungry? Are we waiting for Lavender?" he turned to Ron.

Ron turned to respond when everyone heard it. "Won-Won!" Lavender practically flew across the room and tackled him in a hug. He hugged her back, hesitantly. He could hear the others trying hard to hold back their laughter. He knew he was in for all kinds of teasing when she left. "I've missed you so much!" she kissed him.

"That's quite enough of that. It's time to eat," Molly stood in the doorway, hands on her hips.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione lingered in the kitchen when everyone had filled their plates and gone back to the sitting room. It was the one time they were allowed to eat away from the table, as it was mostly snacks, and they loved it. But for Hermione, all she wanted was to get away from Ron and Lavender. She jumped when Molly came up behind her and put her hands on her shoulders. "Are you alright, dear?"

She turned to the woman and put on a smile. "Of course. I just wanted to stretch my legs."

Molly nodded, then her concerned expression turned to a frown as she looked toward the sitting room. "What is with that girl? Does she ever give Ron time to breathe?" She had already had to clear her throat to indicate Lavender to stop kissing her son several times, and it had been less than half an hour.

Hermione smiled for the first time since Lavender arrived. "Not really. She's awful," she said without thinking. She immediately covered her mouth, an expression of 'oops' on her face. She hadn't meant to say it out loud. She half expected Molly to scold her for saying such a thing, but was pleasantly surprised when she laughed.

"Well dear, I'd certainly have preferred he find someone more like you," she sighed. "Unfortunately we can't choose who our children choose to be with, even if we'd love to." Hermione had an idea that Molly was also referring to Fleur, who she hadn't warmed up to. Hermione laughed. She didn't mean to, but the fact that Molly seemed to have a distaste for Lavender made her feel better about her own feelings toward the girl. Maybe it wasn't just the fact that she was jealous over it. Maybe Lavender really was that bad.

"Mione, are you coming back in?" she heard Ginny call out. She heard Arthur tell his daughter not to talk with her mouth full. "Guess I should get back to the party," she smiled at Molly before reclaiming her seat next to Fred and George. Both were intensely focused on the food they were shoveling in their mouths. A soft giggle escaped her lips as she watched them. She had never met anyone who loved food as much as they did; not even Ron.

"Aren't you eating?" Fred asked as he swallowed a particularly large mouthful.

"I think I've lost my appetite," she replied quietly as she glanced at Lavender, who was feeding Ron a piece of fudge.

"Come on, Hermione. You at least have to have some of mum's strawberry ice cream," he grinned. "I know it's your favorite," he added, his voice soft, as he put his lips close to her ear.

When he moved back, she stared at him. "I've never told you that."

"Don't have to, love," he laughed. "Your face said it all when mum said she was making it."

She found it hard to take her eyes off of him, even when he turned back toward his plate. How did he notice these things? How did she not realize he was taking notice? She brought her knees to her body and rested her head on them as she listened to the entire Weasley clan discuss everything that had gone on in their lives. She noticed Molly kept looking at Lavender and Ron disapprovingly, but as they weren't snogging, she didn't say anything. Fred and George talked of the shop, which made her smile. That was when it hit her. Fred wasn't at Hogwarts. How was she to go about trying to have a relationship when she'd barely see him? Her smile faded as she thought it over. She'd go months without seeing him.

Midnight was getting nearer and everyone was getting sleepier. All the food Molly made seemed to wear them out. She was surprised Ginny was still up, as she looked like she was going to fall asleep at any second. Molly and Arthur were sitting next to each other, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. Harry was still looking lively, as he was almost always up late, sneaking around the castle. Ron and Lavender were leaning against one another. He looked tuned out as he listened to her go on about the disastrous shopping trip she had with her mother over the holidays. She looked over at Fred, who was quietly humming with the music that was playing, much softer now, on the radio. She noticed everyone perk up at George jumping up. "5 minutes! Everyone outside!" he yelled with a grin. Fred grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her out with him.

Everyone stood around looking out past the lake as they counted down. Even Hermione, who never enjoyed the New Years festivities much, was shouting with them. She practically giggled as they reached approached one and saw all the fireworks from the muggle celebrations. She was caught off guard when they finished their countdown as Fred grabbed her waist and turned her toward him, capturing her lips with his own. Her shock faded and a feeling of warmth spread throughout her. This was different than the first time she had kissed him. She couldn't explain why, as it only lasted a few brief moments, like the first. But this time, she wasn't in pain, or fueled by anger. She actually felt happy. When he pulled away, he was grinning at her, and she was sure her face held the same expression. "Now you've been kissed at midnight," he laughed.

She suddenly realized they were surrounded by the entire Weasley family and she looked around nervously. Almost everyone was staring at them. And almost everyone had a different expression. Arthur looked rather pleased, while Molly's face was full of surprise, though she still had a proud smile. George gave them a smug smile, as though he already knew this was going to happen. When she thought about it, she realized he probably did. Ginny and Harry were beaming at them, as though they couldn't have been happier. Lavender, who had a smile on her face at first, now frowned as she looked at Ron. And of course, Ron was fuming. "What in bloody hell?" She heard him yell. Just wonderful, she thought. Way to start the new year off with a bang.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione looked nervously to Ron. She could only clearly see his face when the light from the fireworks cast a glow in the sky. The red color that fell upon them only made him look even more angry. She didn't even know what she could say at that moment, with everyone watching her; everyone expecting an answer from her. She couldn't do it. She had no idea what to say or do in that moment. Before she knew it, she was running. She found her way into the burrow quickly and shut the door behind her when she hit Ginny's room, sliding down against it to sit. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Fred Weasley had kissed her. He had kissed her of his own free will and she had enjoyed it. And he had done it right in front of Ron. That was the moment it had hit her. Had he done it just to get to Ron? Was this some cruel prank? She felt the door shake from Ginny banging on the other side of the door. She heard her friend yelling her name, demanding she open up. Instead, she sat there, not even sure she could have moved. Eventually, the noise stopped. She felt awful, not allowing Ginny access to her room, but she was also sure Ginny had not been alone. She heard several pairs of feet shuffling outside the door, growing quieter by the second. When she was sure everyone had left the hallway, she crawled into bed and pulled the sheet over her head. She laid there for what seemed like ages, and though she heard Ginny's voice asking quietly if she was awake when the red head finally came to bed, she said nothing. She didn't want to have this conversation.

"Well, Mione, if you decide you want to talk, I'll be here all night," Ginny said quietly, having a hunch her friend was not asleep as she looked. "And Ron's not so mad, just so you know," she added with a yawn before crawling into her own bed and falling asleep quickly.

The next morning, Hermione found the bedroom empty when she woke up. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep. She must have stayed up half the night until her thoughts finally drifted into dreams. In her dreams, Ron was yelling at her, telling her he didn't want to be her friend any longer. Harry had taken Ron's side and left her. Fred had told her he never really meant to kiss her, that it was just a mistake. Somehow, she had woken up feeling more miserable than when she had laid down. She dressed slowly, not feeling any motivation to meet up with the rest of the Weasley family, but she knew she couldn't avoid them forever. She wasn't sure why she had run off like that, and it actually embarrassed her. She decided she needed to go down there, whether she wanted to or not. When she stepped slowly off the stairs, she saw Ginny sitting in the living room with Molly.

"Oh dear, you're up! I saved you some breakfast. Let me fix you a plate!" Molly started to get up but Hermione shook her head and insisted she wasn't hungry. When Molly frowned, she assured her she would eat later. "Well dear, the boys are out playing Quidditch if you were wanting to see them."

"All of them?" Hermione asked hopefully. If Ron was playing Quidditch with Fred, things couldn't be so bad. "Did Lavender go home?" she frowned, realizing the blonde was no longer there. She hadn't thought about how Lavender would react to Ron being so upset about the kiss.

"No," Ginny frowned as she rolled her eyes. "She's outside watching them. It's just Ron and Harry. They're going over some new moves for the next game against Slytherin. Fred and George went home last night," she answered Hermione's question without it being asked. "But Ron seemed okay this morning. Was a bit surprised you slept so late. I don't think he's upset with you. And he may be a bit peeved with Fred, but they didn't go at it last night, so I think it'll all blow over pretty quickly."

"Oh dear, don't worry about Ronald," Molly patted the space on the couch next to her, where Hermione soon sat down. "You know how he gets. I'm sure he was just upset because he was caught off guard. None of us really ever expected you and Fred to-well-" she stopped, unsure how to put it. "Well, you two didn't seem each other's types," she patted the young girl's knee reassuringly. "I always thought you had eye for Ron to be honest," she added as an afterthought.

"Me too," she muttered quietly. "So Fred and George aren't coming over?"

"Well," Ginny started. "I think they'll come over. But Fred left pretty quickly last night. I don't think he wanted to start anything with Ron."

Hermione knew what she wasn't saying. He was upset with her for running off on him. Before she could open her mouth to ask any more questions, she heard the boys coming in, chatting animatedly about some new move they had finally perfected. They stopped when they saw her sitting and staring at them. "Get enough sleep then?" Harry smiled at her, trying to break the awkward silence. She simply nodded, unsure if she should say anything to Ron.

"Well it's good you're finally up then," Ron added, trying to sound cheery. She noticed Lavender was hanging on Ron's arm very possessively. "You and Ginny want to join us for another game? We could really use a fourth."

She stared at him uncomfortably. Why was he being so calm and so nice to her? He looked disgusted by her last night. "Sure, maybe in a bit," she nodded slowly. "Ron, can we talk? Alone?" she waited for him to nod before getting up to follow him into the kitchen, much to Lavender's disappointment. She leaned against the counter as he sat in a chair and looked at her expectantly. "Are you mad at me?" she blurted out. Not exactly the most tactful move, she thought. But she wanted to get to the point.

He sighed. "No, not really," he answered slowly. "I was last night. But I can hardly blame you for my prat of a brother kissing you," he shrugged.

"So you're only mad at Fred then?" she frowned. How could he be mad at Fred and not her? It made not sense to her.

"Well, I'm not really mad at him," he shook his head. "George apparated over last night after everyone had cleared out and told me everything."

"Everything?" she swallowed hard. But if Ron knew that she had kissed Fred first, why wasn't he mad at her?

"Yeah, about how it was all part of a bet Fred lost and how you had no idea," he shrugged.

"A bet," she nodded, her jaw set. Had she been right about Fred after all? He seemed to care for her enough to not do something stupid like that.

"Don't be too mad at them. They do barmy stuff like that all the time. I mean, obviously you should curse the poor git for using you like that. But I don't think they meant any harm. I don't think Fred thought he would lose. He felt really bad about it though. Left pretty quick after you ran off. George wanted to talk to you about it, but you wouldn't let anyone in. I think he felt pretty awful too. But if it helps any, Mum is going to kill them for this. She thinks you're an item now. She's going to be really upset to find out the truth." He stopped when he saw Hermione's face. "I'm sorry, Mione. I didn't mean to tell you like this. It probably would have been better coming from him."

"Yes, it would have. But that's Fred I suppose," she found her resolve. "I think I'm going to have a chat with your dear brother about not using people to settle their bets."

Ron nodded before she left. He was certain she was going to kill his brother. He hoped Fred was able to get away from the curses he was sure she would be aiming her way. He heard her announce to Molly and Ginny that she was going to talk to Fred before he heard her floo to the twins' shop.


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione walked into the store, which was almost empty aside from a few stray kids she had seen at Howarts. She saw Verity, the twins' assistant running the register, and another girl working on the floor, restocking shelves magically. She knew the boys wouldn't be working, as their mum had insisted that they take a few days off for the holidays, and their assistants were more than happy to take on the responsibility to run the shop alone. She hoped they were in their flat though. She had a score to settle. She'd show Fred and George. How could they do that to her? Sure, they teased her and she scolded them, but she thought they had come to an understanding. She thought after their conversation, Fred might actually care about her. After the way he seemed to notice her and the things she did or liked, she was sure he at least had kissed her because he wanted to. Not because of some lost bet. She walked to the back of the store, despite the girl she hadn't seen before protesting. She was glad to hear Verity explaining that she was family. When she reached the stairs, she was even angrier than before. She stomped up the stairs before banging on the door. "Frederick Gideon Weasley, you get your butt out here right now and talk to me!" she yelled as she knocked furiously. She almost hit the twin who answered, a confused look on his face.

"Mione, what-"

"Don't you dare call me Mione!" she poked him in the chest hard. "You owe me an explanation," she glared as she followed him into the living room.

"And what exactly do I owe an explanation for?" he frowned. Was she really so mad he had kissed her? Sure, she ran off, but he didn't think she was actually angry with him. Why wait until this morning to come yell at him?

"For using me!" she shouted, her face turning red in anger.

"Using you? Mione, I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," he looked genuinely confused now.

She glowered at him, wondering how he could possibly sit in front of her and ask what she was talking about. How could he sit here and lie to her? "How could you do this to me? How could you sit there and let me think you had feelings? Make me consider-" she stopped, feeling the a hot stinging in her eyes. She was certain her voice was on the verge of cracking. "I thought you were different Fred Weasley," she shook her head.

"I thought you were too," he frowned, staring at her. She couldn't even be bothered to tell him why she was so mad. She had never struck him as crazy, or clingy with a guy. But maybe Hermione wasn't the confident young woman he had thought. She was over here acting like every other bird he had ever spent a night with. But with Hermione they had barely kissed. How could she already be crazy? "You're absolutely mental! You do realize that, right?"

She snapped her head up, looking as though she wanted to punch him. Honestly, she kind of did. She remembered the amount of pleasure she took in punching Draco Malfoy. It had let out so much of her aggression, she was honestly considering it at this point. Her hands were shaking at her side.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by George walking in. He stared between the two of them, looking as though he was contemplating heading back to his room to avoid the argument between the two. "So I did hear someone," he smiled nervously. "Mione, how are you this lovely morning?"

She turned her narrowed eyes on the other twin. She had a score to settle with him too. "You're not off the hook either, George. Just because you're not the one who kissed me doesn't mean you're not the one in trouble!" she crossed the room so she was suddenly face to face with him. "I always thought you two thought higher of me than that. Couldn't you have used someone else to settle your bet?" Her face was softer now. Despite her determination to keep it hidden, her eyes betrayed her. She was hurt. More than she'd like to admit.

He sighed. "Oh, Mione, don't be mad. Seriously, I can explain everything," he reached out to touch her shoulder, but she flinched and moved away. "You talked to Ron, didn't you?" his brows furrowed. When she nodded slowly, he continued. "Listen to me. I was trying to help you two. After you ran off and Fred came back here, we had to talk Ron out of apparating over here to curse him. So I ended up telling him a little white lie to calm him down. I told him Fred had lost a bet and that was why he kissed you. I tried to tell you last night but you wouldn't let anyone in," his eyes were pleading with her to listen. He was relieved when her face softened. "I made him promise not to tell anyone, to make it seem genuine. I figured this way you two could work everything out together without Ron to worry about. Clearly the git couldn't wait to tell you so he could make sure if you had any feelings for Fred that would change," his eyes darkened.

Fred turned to George. "Why didn't you tell me? A little heads up would have been appreciated," he crossed his arms. His tone was lighter now, but he still seemed upset.

"Well, it wasn't my highest priority last night. I was tired. I had to think of this whole elaborate web of lies on my own last night because you were all hurt that Granger ran away from you," George huffed, insulted. He turned back to Hermione. "No offense, Mione. But I really was going to tell you both today. I didn't think he'd run off to you and tell you right away. I thought I'd have time to explain it to Fred before we went home and to you once we got there."

Hermione looked at George, caught between wanting to smack him for telling Ron such a thing, and wanting to hug him for making her problem temporarily go away. She found herself unwilling to look at Fred. She felt quite foolish. She hadn't even given him time to explain. She decided smacking George was what she should have done when he grinned and muttered something about leaving two lovebirds alone before shutting himself back in his bedroom. When she finally looked at Fred, he was half smiling. "Still think I'm mental?" She raised an eyebrow, not forgetting his previous comment.

He laughed. "Oh, absolutely. But not for the reason I thought before. You really thought George and I would use you to settle a score? I know we can be difficult, but we'd never do anything to hurt you. Especially when you're so deeply in love with me," he wiggled his eyebrows.

She laughed, despite herself. "Now who's mental?"

"Made you laugh though, and you don't seem to want to kill me anymore, so it's an improvement," he shrugged, still smiling, but his face turned more serious as he spoke again. "So now that you understand that I'm not some slimy git, would you like to talk about us?"


	11. Chapter 11

"Is there an us to talk about?" She challenged him as she stood firm in front of him, her arms crossed.

He laughed. "You tell me, love," he ran a finger down her arm gently, sending a chill up her spine. "You're the one who ran from me last night. I'd just like to know if it's because it was good or because it was bad," he shrugged, a grin still spread across his lips.

"I'm sorry I ran off on you," she looked down. She hadn't even stopped to think that she may have upset him by leaving. She hadn't thought about how she'd feel if he ran off after he kissed her.

"Which time?" he laughed. "That's twice now you've run away after kissing me. I'm starting to doubt my abilities," he laughed harder when she swatted his arm. "Mione, honestly. Am I that bad?" he gave her a pout, which she instantly recognized as one he used whenever he wanted something.

"You know very well you are perfectly satisfactory," she replied.

"Stop gushing," he smiled. "I know I'm magnificent, but you really must stop going on and on and-ouch!" he laughed, rubbing his arm where she had once again smacked him. "Seriously though, I'd love it if you didn't run off on me every time I kiss you," he inched closer to her.

She felt her stomach start those awful flip flops they often did when he looked at her a certain way. He was going to kiss her. She could see it in his eyes. She didn't know if she wanted to run or snog him senseless. He could be so infuriating, with his cocky attitude and pranks, but he also caused feelings in her she didn't often feel. She decided upon staying put where she was. She leaned her head up as he brought his down, feelings his hand brush her cheek as his lips connected with hers. She brought her hands up to his neck, caressing the sides and playing the with the hair at its nape. It was the first time she had really been ready for his kiss, and really felt it. She was able to appreciate the way his lips brushed her bottom lip so lightly, she was mentally urging him to deepen their kiss. She felt her body tingle under his touch as he ran his hands down her side before finally resting on her hips, pulling her flush against him. She was certain every part of this was wrong, but once she felt his teeth nip at her bottom lip playfully, she knew she couldn't refuse him. She felt him smile against her lips before pulling away. "I guess we could go with exceeds expectations," she grinned.

"Still better than I got in most of my OWLS," he laughed. "Listen, I want you to know there's no pressure here," he pushed a curly strand behind her ear. "I know you have a thing for my brother and I know this all started because you were upset about him and Lavender. So I want you to know that if you want to continue chasing after my git of a brother, I'll support you," his smile had faded a bit.

She gave him a sad look. "Fred, I don't know what I want," she sighed as she turned around and started pacing. "I do care about Ron. And I can't help but to still be jealous of Lavender," she turned back to him. "But I care about you too. I just feel so confused right now."

He nodded, finding himself unable to make a joke for once.

"You barely know me, Fred. What makes you think you want me?" She collapsed on the couch, not sure how she should be feeling. How could she feel so guilty for having feelings for Fred? She wasn't seeing anyone. She was free to make all of her own decisions.

"You really think I barely know you?" He smiled again, to her relief. She did love his smile. "I know you're brave, loyal and brilliant. You are the epitome of a Gryffindor. But it's not just that. You turn this cute shade of pink when you get all mad at me and George. And you crinkle your nose when you don't understand something. You're favorite meal is breakfast, and you won't drink anything but orange juice with it. You claim to hate flying, though you're pretty decent. And you always smell like strawberries," he finished, still grinning but turning a light shade of red.

She stared at him, speechless. "How do you notice all that?" She finally asked, smiling.

He shrugged. "I guess I never realized it until now. Mione, don't ever question whether or not you're good enough for my brother. Just because he doesn't see all the wonderful things about you doesn't mean they aren't true."

"Fred, I-" she stopped herself. She really didn't want to say this. "I do care about you. But I'm going back to school in a few days. And you're staying here. It's just not going to work. And then there's my feelings for Ron. It's not fair to you."

"If that's your decision then," he tried to keep his smile, but she saw it falter.

"I'm sorry, Fred," she put a hand on his.

"No harm done," he smiled. "Maybe until Ron tells mum it was all a bet," he laughed, though it was hollow.

"I'll tell her it wasn't," she assured him.

"It's probably better to let her just yell at me and George than to start a fight with Ron. He's only going to be upset if he thinks you're protecting me," he shrugged. "She'll get over it anyway."

"We'll figure out a way to not upset Ron or your mum," she smiled. "I should get back though," she stood up. She kissed him on the cheek before stepping back into the fireplace and disappearing.

Fred sighed as George walked out. "You're not really giving up on her, are you mate?" he sat on the opposite end of the couch.

"No," he answered without thinking. He smiled. "Not a chance."

"That's what I like to hear," he patted his twin on the shoulder, laughing.

"I don't want to pressure her though, Georgie. No matchmaking," he warned.

"Never," George grinned. He would need to talk to Ginny when they headed to the burrow. If anyone could get the two together, it was him and Ginny.


	12. Chapter 12

"You know Hermione is going to be upset about this," Ginny raised her eyebrows as she spoke to her brother. "She doesn't want her love life meddled in. And if we resort to your products, she's going to kill us."

"Come on, Gin. I can't do this without you," he stopped and thought for a moment. "I suppose I could, but it's going to be much easier with help," he grinned broadly. "Hermione will be fine once she realizes she needs Fred-"

"Hermione doesn't need Fred though. If she needed him, she would have chosen him. Do you really want to set Fred up for that kind of heartache? Don't you think it'd be better if they decided they wanted to be together on their own instead of us forcing it?" She didn't want to see her brother hurt. She knew how Hermione felt about Ron. And on top of that, she knew somewhere, even if he was with Lavender, he cared for Hermione.

"Will you please just help me? He's fancied her for too long without getting a shot," George sighed. "Poor sap. I don't even think he realized it. But you can sure bet I did. I, after all, know all," he laughed as Ginny rolled her eyes. "Seriously though, are you in?" he stuck out a hand.

"Of course," she grinned as she shook his hand. While she knew Hermione and Fred probably wouldn't last, maybe it would be good for the both of them. And she was always willing to get in on something with either of the twins. It wasn't often that she got to help them out with something that she probably shouldn't be doing, and it gave her a bit of a thrill. "So where do we start?"

* * *

"Fred, why don't you and Hermione come help me set the table?" Molly called out from the kitchen, It was nearly dinnertime. The day had gone by much quicker than normal, the light gray sky fading into orange. Hermione couldn't help but notice how much she liked the color cast into the kitchen at the burrow by sunset. It felt so much like home with her parents.

"What do you need help with, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione walked in followed by Fred. She was expecting to be handed a large stack of dishes or a pot or pan of food, but instead, Molly pulled out a chair for the both of them and insisted they sit. "Is everything okay?" she asked warily.

"Well of course, dear," Molly beamed at her. "Listen, I know this is different, but I wanted to talk to the both of you. Hermione, dear, you know I think of you as one of my own daughters already. I just want to make sure you two are not going to rush into anything."

"Excuse me?" Fred almost laughed. Was his mother giving them the talk? He knew this was going to be no good for anyone involved. He had to stop her before she got anything else out. "Mum, we're not-"

"Don't worry Mrs. Weasley. We're taking things slow," Hermione grabbed Fred's hand on the table and gave him a meaningful look before turning back to Molly. "You have nothing to worry about. I promise I'll keep Fred in line," she smiled at the woman. She was hoping this would stop her from feeling the need to finish this conversation.

Molly seemed to be deciding if this was an acceptable answer before smiling again. "Well, okay then. It's just with you-know-who back, I think we're all trying to live in the moment a bit more. But please don't take that as a reason to move too quickly. You two will have plenty of that later," she turned back toward the counter. "Now, can you two help me with these?" she started handing them both dishes before turning back to the stove.

When they had set everything out on the table and Molly had told them they could rejoin the rest of the family, Fred pulled Hermione to the hallway. "Why did you cover for me?"

"I told you. I'm not going to let your mum get mad at you over nothing," she answered quietly, looking around. "I'll deal with Ron about it later. But it's not as though your mum will be around us all the time. What she doesn't know won't hurt her," she smiled, but looked down. She didn't want to lie to Molly, but she figured they could enjoy the few days of holiday before she wouldn't have to deal with it until Easter. By then, she wouldn't need to pretend her and Fred were together. They could have made an amicable split and no one would be the wiser.

"Hermione, I'm surprised at you," he grinned. "Looks like we've rubbed off on you."

"Oh, Fred, don't make me feel worse," she groaned, but laughed.

"Yeah, yeah," he smiled. "Well, thanks. I promise I'll be a gentleman while I'm your pretend boyfriend. I won't even snog you in front of everyone," he laughed. "Not again anyway."

She smiled at the memory of it. Though she didn't want to admit it, if she didn't think Ron would be upset, she wouldn't mind it. She rather enjoyed kissing him. It was much different than the awkward pecks Krum had placed upon her lips. But then again, she had never really cared for Krum in a way she cared for Fred. She knew Fred much better, and despite their differences, she trusted him, along with the other Weasleys, more than she did almost anyone else. "Fred, I hope this won't be weird for you. We can tell her the truth if it will be easier."

"Trust me. It will be easier to let mum think this for a few days until you go back. If we told her any different, she'd want to know what happened. And if we told her we had lied to her, you'd be in trouble as well. It'll be alright. It's just mum and dad after all. It's not as though anyone else will be thinking it," he shrugged. "What are you going to tell Ron?"

"That I don't want to ruin your mum's last few days with us by being upset," she replied easily. "He'll feel guilty then about telling her anything else. I'm sure he'll be fine. I'll talk to him before dinner.," she grabbed his arm and pulled him back toward the sitting room. "Come on. If your mum catches us in the hallway together, we might have to sit through the talk for real," she laughed.

* * *

"What do you mean you don't want me to tell mum? Aren't you upset?" Ron looked at her incredulously.

"I was," she replied honestly. She had been rather furious when she thought it was the truth. She tried to speak to him as though she hadn't found out something different. "But it's not worth it right now. We only have 3 more days before we return to Hogwarts. I don't want to spend it being angry. And I don't want to ruin the time we do have with your mum and dad. It's only going to hurt her if you tell her," she tried to explain.

"But Hermione, he deserves it. Him and George both. It's wrong what they did."

"Oh, Ron," she sighed. "It's not about what they deserve. It's about what your mum deserves. She deserves to have the next 3 days filled with happiness. It's not as though she gets to see us all the time. Just let her enjoy it. I'll write her in a few weeks and tell her Fred and I didn't work out because of the distance and we've seen the error of our ways and we're still friends so she shouldn't worry. It'll all be back to normal the next time we come back. Please do this for her; for me?"

"Fine" he huffed as he crossed his arms. "I can't believe I'm going along with this," he muttered.

"Thank you, Ron," she smiled as she hugged him. "I promise I'll help you with all your notes for doing this for me," she kissed him on the cheek.

He furrowed his brow. "Wait, weren't you going to do that anyway? You always help, Hermione," he called out as she walked back to join the others. "Women," he muttered as he heard her laugh and followed.


End file.
